Twins and special care

According to Twins Trust , about 40% of multiples need extra care after they're born.

Your babies will be nursed in an incubator (or incubators), and may be surrounded by wires and tubes.

You'll still be able to touch them and help with their care. Staff will show you what to do.

If your babies are too small to feed themselves, you'll be shown how to express breastmilk for them.

This will be given to them via a thin tube that passes through their nose and into their stomach. This will not hurt them.

Because breast milk is best for premature babies, you'll be encouraged to breastfeed. But how you feed your baby is up to you.

It's natural to feel worried if 1 or both of your babies are on a neonatal unit. Staff will understand this and offer plenty of support.

If your twins are born early

If you're likely to give birth early, here are a few things to think about beforehand:

You may need to move to another hospital to make sure there are enough beds for both your babies in the neonatal unit.

Ask if your hospital has a transitional care unit: these units allow mothers to care for their babies if they do not need intensive care. Hospitals with transitional units are more likely to be able to keep you and your babies in the same place.

Check if your hospital has cots that allow co-bedding (where your babies sleep in a single cot), if this is how you want your babies to sleep.

If you have 1 baby in the hospital and 1 at home, you'll need to think about splitting your time between the 2. When you visit your baby in hospital, ask if you can bring their twin and if co-bedding is allowed during visits.